Rating: 
Summary: An A for effort - I suppose.
Review: Released relatively briefly after such films as "Dead Man Walking" and "The Green Mile," "The Life of David Gale" is yet another cinematic work with the intention of questioning the efficiency (and morality) of capital punishment in the United States. Of course this takes us to Texas. Star reporter Bitsey Bloom (Kate Winslet) is assigned three interviews with death-row inmate David Gale (Kevin Spacey), one of Texas's most avid anti-death-penalty activists who has been sentenced to death for the murder of Constance Harraway (Laura Linney), his faithful colleague. Gale wishes for the reporter to uncover the truth in the case; Bloom, however, initially maintains her position that Gale is probably guilty and does deserve to die. However, after many flashbacks as told by Gale and many, many plot twists, Bloom's views begin to change, of course, and in the end she must race against the clock (literally) to make sure that justice is truly served. Spacey is dry and lackluster as Gale, and he fails to keep us interested long enough to care whether he is guilty or not in the end. Winslet does well enough with Bloom, although her character is written to act so stupidly at some points that not even her acting talent can redeem. Gabriel Mann is fine as Zack Stemmons, Bloom's intern sidekick, if you will, and the ever-memorable Leon Rippy is precise Braxton Belyeu, Gale's attorney, who provides some funny albeit unfitting comedic relief. The film's greatest asset is the vividly marvelous Laura Linney as doomed Constance Harraway, whose real emotions are the only ones in the film that make us think twice about the matter at hand. Randolph's screenplay is irritably calcuable, and Gerry Hambling's clunky editing makes the film seem quite a bit longer than its true 130-minute running time. It's difficult to tell what message director Alan Parker is trying to put forth here. By portraying both sides as crazy, radical monsters out to advance their political agendas does not contribute well to the film's conclusion, which has a rather blatant conviction. This leaves a really bad taste of insincerity in the mouths of the audience members. The film does succeed to keep one guessing throughout, and it is genuinely suspensful at some points - despite its disorganized, predictable mechanics. OF COURSE no one is in the hotel room shower, OF COURSE the engine overheats at the time it's needed most, and OF COURSE there is always more than meets the eye - literally, in this case, on a videotape. Still, the film has one truly shocking revelation (not in it's conclusion - sorry), and Linney's performance is definitely worth a viewing. If you want a truly sincere view on anti-death-penalty, however, I suggest to go back to "The Green Mile" and "Dead Man Walking."
Rating: 
Summary: WOW!
Review: TRULY AN AMAZING MOVIE. DAVID GALE IS ON DEATH ROW JUST 4 DAYS AWAY FROM HIS EXECUTION. HE CALLS ON ONE REPORTER, A MS. BITSEY BLOOM, (PLAYED BY KATE WINSLET) TO CONDUCT HIS FINAL INTERVIEW OVER A 3 DAY PERIOD (THE LAST 3 DAYS BEOFRE HIS EXECUTION DAY). AS SHE SPENDS MORE TIME WITH HIM BITSEY STARTS TO THINK THAT MAYBE DAVID REALLY HAS BEEN SET UP AND IS ACTUALLY INNOCENT OF THIS MURDER. SHE RACES AGAINST TIME TO FIND THE EVIDENCE WHICH WILL PROVE HIS INNOCENCE AND SPARE HIS LIFE. WILL SHE MAKE IT? AND WHAT EXACTLY WILL SHE FIND? YOU'LL HAVE TO WATCH IT FOR YOURSELF TO FIND THAT OUT! BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY AN INTENSE AND A VERY EMOTIONAL MOVIE. I HAD IT FIGURED OUT ABOUT MID-WAY THROUGH THE STORY WHICH WAS A LITTLE BIT DISSAPOINTING TO ME BUT IT WAS STILL A GOOD MOVIE. AND IT RAISES SOME INTERSTING QUESTIONS SUCH AS: ARE SOME CAUSES REALLY WORTH DYING FOR? AND SHOULD WE (AS HUMAN BEINGS) HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHO LIVES AND WHO DIES? AND WHERE SHOULD WE DRAW THE LINE? LASTLY, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DIE FOR SOMETHING YOU BELIEVED IN?
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Story... Average Acting
Review: Kevin Spacey ("American Beauty", "The Usual Suspects", "L.A. Confidential", "The Ref") is a great actor. And this is NOT his best role by far. Kate Winslet ("Titantic", "Iris", Sense & Sensibility") is also a fine actor... and I felt her acting in this movie was dead average. What's wrong with this picture - in that George Clooney, Nicholas Cage and Nicole Kidman all rejected being a part of this film. Interesting twists in this whodunnit mystery revolving around a video tape of a murder. You don't know that there's two versions of the video tape until the end of the movie. This movie starts four days before Gale is supposed to be executed in Texas. Gale (Spacey) is the ex-college professor sitting on death row. Bitsey Bloom (Winslet) is the investigator who believes Gale is innocent. Laura Linney plays the talkative and annoying murderee (Constance Harraway) who we later find out is dying from an incurable disease. Zack (Gabriel Mann) plays Bloom's intern - and does not deserve to be in another movie (ever). To me, the acting was panned... like the actors took this project to kill some time while waiting for their next big blockbuster script to fall into their laps. Spacey and Winslet are better than this movie. The ending was pure cheese - Winslet crying out loud at the injustice of Gale's death was just not credible at all. One shining moment in this film - when Gale debates the Mayor on TV. If anything else, this film will make you a bit more conscientious about capital punishment. This DVD features minimal extras: skipable deleted scenes, movie trailer, poster concepts, and the making of David Gale documentary. Replay value = small. Rent before you purchase.
Rating:
Summary: STUNNING
Review: THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE is an intense, well crafted and brilliantly acted drama. Although there may be clues as to the actual fate of Constance, director Alan Parker keeps them as veiled as possible, and I found myself enthralled with the story of the anti-death penalty Gale and his assistant Constance, who he is accused of raping and murdering.
What holds the film together is the cast: Kevin Spacey gives one of his most impassioned performances; Kate Winslet is exceptionally good as the reporter who starts out resenting her assignment and then crusades to prove Gale's innocence; Laura Linney is breathtaking as the doomed Constance, proving once again she is one of the finest actresses out there right now; Gabriel Mann does a bang-up job as Winslet's intern partner, Zach. Equally impressive are Melissa McCarthy as the goth girl, Nico; Matt Craven as the mysterious cowboy and Leon Rippy as the ambivalent lawyer.
The ending is powerful and even if we should have seen it coming, Winslet's reaction more than compensates.
I think this is a very good and worthwhile film.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful statement!
Review: Alan Parker made an invaluable and potent statement about such controversial theme . He built and admirable puzzle with many dramatic twists all along the film which deserved to my mind a major treatment and consideration .
In the last two decades I just remember three admirable works about this similar theme : The Fifth Chapter of Decalogue , Dead man walking and Dancer in the dark.
Spacey plays a very credible role and despite the female counterpoint is not at the same level ( the role was perfect for Cate Blanchet , Juliette Binoche or Naomi Watts) the film reaches the goal . I think something happens with Parker when he decides to make edge of the knife pictures : Midnight express , Mississippi burning have not been rated by the most of critics ; it would seem Parker is accepted only when he films musicals
Intelligent , mature and outstanding movie .
Rating: 
Summary: Modern Day Morality Story With Shades Of Puccini
Review: Set in the good ol' boy state of Texas, Kevin Spacey is Dr. David Gale, a brilliant university professor, accomplished author and comrade of a group called "DeathWatch" that vehemently opposes capital punishment/death penalty. David has a beautiful wife and little son but when his wife leaves him and takes his child away, David goes off the deep end,becomes an alcoholic and looses his tenured position at the university due to some allegations of a young student.
Then, if things couldn't get any worse, David's closest friend & "DeathWatch" colleague, Constance Harroway, played by Laura Linney, turns up raped and violently murdered, David, of course, is the prime suspect. What with David's DNA taken from the crime scene he is tried, convicted and placed on death row to await his execution by lethal injection. He steadfastly denies any guilt in the murder while sitting on death row for several years. The story opens four days before Gale is to receive his state induced deadly drug cocktail.
Enter reporter Bitsey Bloom, played by Kate Winslet. Bitsey is brought in to interview David in 3 separate 2 hour sessions. The story of David's crime is all told in flashback sequence. With an ending so terrific it will literally knock the wind right out of you!
Also turning in fine performances are Gabriel Mann as Bitsey's co-worker, Zack Stemmons, a creepy, opera loving cowboy, Matt Craven as "DeathWatch" obsessed member, Dusty Wright and a young girl named Melissa McCarthy who turns in an adequate performance as a Goth girl named Nico.
This movie is scripted well, keeps you guessing and more importantly, the punch in the stomach the story gives you in the end is well worth the watch.
Highly Recommended & Happy Watching!
Rating:
Summary: I Beg to Disagree:Convoluted Thriller and Too Strong Message
Review: The film is directed by Alan Parker (British), who picked up this script written by Charles Randolph, formerly professor of philosophy teaching in Vienna. And titular 'David Gale' is a man waiting for execution in Death Row in, you know, the State of Texas, which sooner or later reminds us of one US President.
Yes, using the form of thriller, the film is trying to be provocative, and that is about death penalty. David Gale, played by Kevin Spacey, is sentenced to death, and now waiting for the time. He is arrested for raping and murdering Constance (Laura Linney), but the great irony is that he was once known as first-rate professor of philosophy in the academic world, and more importantly, as activist for abolishing capital punishment.
Just three days before the execution, David Gale appoints one journalist Elizabeth Bloom (Kate Winslet), and asks to come to meet him, and write a memoir of his life. David recounts his story, and during the short period the journalist begins to suspect that he is wrongly accused for the murder.
The setting is not new; a man (or woman) in Death Row, and someone outside the wall has to prove his/her innocence. But the originality (if I may call that way) lies in the last chapter of the film, which of course I cannot reveal. All I can say is that, there is a big surprise (but not exactly a difficult one to guess) -- and the surprise is not a clever one as the film believes it to be. And moreover, it has a strong social message about the ethics surrounding capital punishment, but this argument looks, to me, a real suspect. In short, it's off-putting, even pompous.
And again I say, the message is about death penality, which needs more careful treatment. 'Dead Man Walking' was tilted to one side, to be sure, but it showed the other side's view, if not quite adequately. I do not endorse any opinion here, and do not want to. But 'The Life of David Gale' handles this very hot social issue so carelessly that I could not help thinking that this film is actually damaging the cause it attempts to support.
As a thriller, it is not bad; but the incredible ending, and too showy acting (from you know who) just do not help, and if they really think that they (including co-producer Nicholas Cage) can raise a hot debate about this important issue, they are utterly mistaken.
Rating:
Summary: A death row mystery thriller from director Alan Parker
Review: There is a problem with reviewing "The Life of David Gale" because I was not fooled for a second. I saw the whole thing coming, based on the key reason that David Gale (Kevin Spacey) decided to talk to reporter Bitsey Bloom (Kate Winslet), and what Governor Hardin (Michael Crabtree) says to shut Gale up in a televised debate on the death penalty. That means for most of this 131-minute movie from director Alan Parker I am waiting for the characters to catch up. However, I do not want to suggest that the problem is that Charles Randolph's script telegraphs everything, but rather that in this era of twisted tales such as "The Crying Game," "Usual Suspects," "Memento," you are always on your guard and never accept a narrative at face value.
Basically, "The Life of David Gale" is a death row story, but more like "True Crime" than "The Chamber," "The Green Mile," or "Dead Man Walking," which means it is mystery-thriller. Days before his execution in Texas, Gale's attorney contacts Bloom's magazine about his first and only story from prison. Gale was a professor of philosophy (just like the writer) at a major Texas university and a major voice in the (fictional) anti-death penalty group Death Watch along with his friend, Constance Hallaway (Laura Linney). But then his life implodes when one of his students (Rhona Mitra) has sex with him in a bathroom during a college party and then cries rape. His wife leaves with his son, he is put on permanent sabbatical, and Death Watch wants nothing to do with him. When Connie is found dead he is tried, convicted for rape and murder, and sentence to death. His lawyer, Braxton Belyeu (Leon Rippy), seems to be taking the whole thing rather calmly and a cowboy (Matt Craven) in a pick up truck keep following Bitsey and Zack Stemmons (Gabirel Mann), the intern the magazine has sent to be her gopher and pseudo-muscle. Obviously there is something here to be found out by Bitsey and besides the question of what it is there is the one about whether she will find it out in time.
I am somewhat concerned with the way this movie will be read in decidedly different ways by viewers totally dependent on their beliefs regarding capital punishment. I would think that few people who endorse or oppose the death penalty will change their view after watching "The Life of David Gale," and I fear that those who are still in the process of making up their mind may well be tipped in a direction other than what the writer and director intended, although clearly Parker does try to present both sides of the debate on their own ground. At the end of this one you might be wondering if what you are thinking is what you are supposed to be thinking, or if the final irony undermines the entire endeavor.
The film is set in Texas, where over half of the inmates executed in the United States each year have their sentences carried out. But Texas is not really representative of where the national debate is on capital punishment because no other state does as much to facilitate death sentences and executions (e.g., the definition of mental illness precludes Andrea Yates using an insanity defense in her trial even though the jury that convicted her and sentenced her to life in prison instead of death felt she was insane). In this film the complex issue is reduced to sound bites for and against by ordinary citizens and the question of whether the execution of one innocent person would justify shutting down the entire system.
Consequently, there is a sense in which the morality of a film that uses such volatile issues as backdrop is ultimately suspect. When I try to come to terms with the issue of capital punishment I know that on one side there is the impulse when I hear of some heinous crime to wish the cruel and unusual punishment clause was not in the Constitution. But on the other side there is the dwindling list of nations still using the death penalty and I do not like the United States being associated with the practices of totalitarian nations. Then there are the economic concerns of how much it costs to execute one condemned prisoner, money that could be spent to hire more police officers or buy body armor or other things that could reduced the number of murders in the future, not to mention the idea that life without parole served in the general prison population could be a punishment worse than death.
All of these points are debatable, and while many are touched on in this film they are but touched upon. However, in the final analysis I must also admit that since there was no mystery here as far as I was concerned, these other elements stood out more for me as well. The performances by Winslet, Spacey, and Linney are what you would expect, and if you are familiar with Parker's other films (e.g., "The Commitments," "Evita") then you will recognize the editing style and use of montages in this one. However, you will have to decide if "The Life of David Gale" is too heavy handed, or if I just happened to immediately stumble upon the key clues to unraveling the mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: This movie is totally awesome!! Kate Winslet is a journalist picked to interview death row inmate David Gale. It takes place over a four day period (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday she has the interview, and Friday is his execution day). Of course this movie is filled with flashbacks, but it is pretty easy to follow along. The ending is absolutely mind blowing!! If you're a Kevin Spacey fan, or just in the mood for a good drama with a little psychological twist you should definitely check this out!!
Rating:
Summary: Well-crafted thriller with a compelling message
Review: This is a powerful film with a flawless performance from Kevin Spacey. It is ultimately a moral tale, pushing a particular position concerning the death penalty debate. The way it goes about it, however, ensures the audience will walk away from the experience with at least a tiny glimmer of doubt in their minds, as to whether it is proper for a government to execute its citizens. As our judicial system is less than perfect, the system always runs the risk of killing an innocent person, based on flimsy testimony, fuelled by a hell bent desire for revenge. That's part of the problem. Revenge seems to be hard wired in our brains. It is a powerful emotion, so powerful in fact, that it can blind us from the truth. This film illustrates this fact in a very profound way.
David Gale is a successful philosophy professor who is an anti death penalty advocate. He is happily married to a beautiful woman with a lovely little boy. Life appears to be good, until he drinks too much at a party and has a five-minute affair with one of his attractive students in the up stairs bathroom. He relents to his base desires and pays the price. This particular student wants revenge because she wants to pass his course without doing the work. The next morning, Gale feels bad, but feels worse later when he's arrested for rape. The student wants revenge and is wholly successful because Gale's life spins out of control. His beautiful wife leaves him and he loses his job, never to return to academia. Even though the charges end up being dropped, he's a marked man. His drinking gets worse and the only job he can get is a management position at an electronics store. Gale's life gets worse, though, when he's old colleague, is found raped and murdered and he's accused of the crime. Ironically, he ends up on death row. Days away from being executed, he requests a news reporter to tell his story. Gale, of course, claims he's innocent, and as the story unfolds, something far more insidious bubbles to the surface, and it becomes a race against the eleventh hour. Is Gale innocent, has he been set up, or did he do it?
This is a well-written and professionally executed film with a powerful message. There's no smugness, taking a moral high ground, and beating us over the head with it. It has all the successful ingredients of a top class thriller, building tension all the way to its climactic and surprising end.
The Life of David Gale is a class act film and well worth the experience.
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